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Trinamool Congress expels district leader known to be close to Suvendu Adhikari
Hossain is among those leaders in Murshidabad who are known to be close to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former TMC minister Suvendu Adhikari. He was earlier in the Congress but switched sides a few years ago.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday expelled Mosharaf Hossain, the sabhadhipati (president) of the Murshidabad Zilla Parishad (district council), on charges of anti-party activities.
Hossain is among those leaders in Murshidabad who are known to be close to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former TMC minister Suvendu Adhikari. He was earlier in the Congress but switched sides a few years ago.
“The TMC has done me a great favour. I will join the Congress-Left alliance since it is not possible for me to join the BJP. Adhikari, however, will remain my friend,” Hossain said in the evening.
A leader close to him said he will join the Congress at a rally on February 19.
Senior TMC leaders in Murshidabad and most of the Zilla Parishad members held a meeting in Berhampore town in the afternoon. The expulsion was announced by the party’s district president Abu Taher Khan.
There has been tension between Hossain and senior district leaders for the last few months. He did not attend party meetings and even skipped chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s rally in Berhampore last week, saying his father was unwell.
Khan said, “Hossain was ignoring the party. He took the lead role in organising a programme for Adhikari. He inaugurated several roads and bridges and held programmes where no TMC flag or photograph of Banerjee could be seen. Hossain displayed his own photos.”
“He was trying to make several Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti members leave the ruling party,” said Khan.
“A few days ago, we made him the vice-president of the TMC’s district unit but today we unanimously decided to expel him. We have approval of the state leadership,” Khan added.
Hossain did not comment on the allegations brought against him.
District Congress spokesperson Jayanta Das said, “There was a cold war between Khan and Hossain when both were in the Congress. It seems it has not ended.”
“It is impossible to work in the TMC if one has a clean image. Our state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has declared that all those who want to join our fight against the TMC and BJP are welcome. If Hossain wants to return to the Congress we will welcome him.”
